


Ready or Not

by lillypillylies



Category: Earth 2 (TV 1994)
Genre: F/M, First Time, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-24 15:21:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3773605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillypillylies/pseuds/lillypillylies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A simple game with the kids leads to much more for Devon and John.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ready or Not

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TanyaReed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TanyaReed/gifts).



"Please?" 

"Come on, Mom, please?"

Devon hid her smile as the two kids looked at her hopefully. 

"You never play with us," Uly said.

"I played with you yesterday," she protested. "I played I-Spy. While we were walking."

"That doesn't count," True said.

"She's right," Danziger spoke up from across the fire circle, joining the conversation. "Doesn't count."

Devon shot him a look. "Whose side are you on?"

True giggled as she piped up, "Mine!"

Danziger just shrugged in easy agreement, and Devon held up her hands, knowing when she was beaten. Of course, it probably helped the kids' cause that she'd been planning to give in all along. 

The group was cooling their heels this morning, waiting for word from Alonzo and Magus, who were out scouting for the most direct route through the hills ahead. Usually by this time they'd broken camp and been on the move for an hour or more; today, people were lingering over breakfast, or idly attending to chores and odd jobs around camp. 

The kids wanted to play 'Hide and Seek', and she wasn't about the begrudge them their downtime. Though they had been here on this planet for months now, in truth this was still such a new, precious thing; her son full of energy - barely sitting still long enough to eat breakfast - able to run and play like a normal child. She couldn't help wanting to indulge him.

Of course, he and True actually being in agreement about something for once was an equally novel experience that Devon felt deserved encouragement.

"Okay, okay," she said.

"You'll play?" Uly said.

"Sure, why not?" She slapped her hands on her knees and stood. 

Danziger chuckled. "Pushover."

She turned to him. "I may be a pushover... but I'm not it."

Uly was quick to jump in. "Oh, not it!"

"Not it!" Grinning, True pointed to her father. "Sorry, Dad."

He groaned as he stood. "Yeah, yeah. Walked right into that one."

"You have to count to fifty, Daddy. No peeking!" 

"Come on," Uly said. 

As the two kids scampered away, Devon called after them automatically, "No going out past the perimeter!" 

"Stay in sight of camp!" Danziger said, at almost the exact same time.

Both children turned with equally weary expressions. "We know!" they chorused, before running off. 

Devon couldn't help but laugh, watching them for a moment. They were getting along a lot better these days, really. She sometimes wondered if they weren't simply responding to the growing equilibrium their parents had established over the months of working together to keep the mission safe and moving forward. 

Those contentious early days were behind them, now. Though, they still had their moments...

"That goes for you, too, Adair. No wandering off," John said, waving a finger at her as he came to her side. He was teasing her. She remembered a time when that would have, quite simply, pissed her right off.

Now she merely raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be counting?"

With a sigh, he seated himself on a handy supplies crate and slapped a hand over his eyes as he began counting aloud. Devon went to go hide out in Julia's tent.

They played several rounds of the game as the morning progressed, by which point half the group had been roped in because, as the kids insisted, it was more fun with more people. 

This time, True was 'it', everyone scattering as the little girl closed her eyes to count. Devon, though, was distracted for a minute talking to Alonzo via gear as he called to check in, walking just beyond the circle of tents and vehicles into the trees when they signed off.

" _Ready or not!_ " 

She heard True's yell from the centre of camp and looked around for a handy place to hide. Ducking behind a tree would do, she figured. Of course, the nearest tree big enough to conceal an adult turned out to be occupied.

"Get your own tree, Adair," Danziger rumbled at her as she came around the wide trunk of the tree to find him already leaning there casually.

She argued out of sheer habit. "Why? I don't see your name on it."

"'Cause I was here first."

"That's a little childish."

"It's a kid's game. Getting in the spirit of things." He spread his hands, one foot crossed over the other as he lounged with a purpose, clearly not about to budge.

Amused but trying not to show it, Devon rolled her eyes. "Fine, but maybe you should get the kids to teach you about sharing." 

She stepped out from behind cover just as the sound of someone approaching on small, quick feet reached them. It was too late to find somewhere else to hide, so it looked like she was the next seeker, then. 

Before True appeared around the nearest tent, though, an arm hooked around Devon's middle and yanked her backwards.

She made a small sound of surprise and got a hand over her mouth for her trouble as John pulled her back into his chest, keeping the two of them huddled behind the tree. She pulled his hand from her face, annoyed, and would have protested - because it was just a game and he was taking things a little far - but then the footsteps were coming closer and she kept quiet.

True skipped along, peering this way and that. "I know you're here," she called out. "I'm gonna find you!"

Devon found herself wanting to laugh, keenly feeling the absurdity of the situation as True cheerfully passed right by them. Behind her, she felt more than heard the low rumble of Danziger's chuckle.

"What are you doing?" she hissed at him. 

"Sharing," he hissed back, his mouth right by her ear. "You're welcome."

He shifted slightly then, and her breath caught as she realised how close they were standing. His arm was still around her waist, hand flat against her stomach, and she still had hold of his other hand. He was so close she could feel his breath on the back of her head. Did he realise what he was doing, practically embracing her?

And did he feel this, the way the situation had suddenly gone from absurd to something else? Heat prickled along her spine. It was warm, close to midday with the sun high in the sky, and he was too close, she could feel his body heat through the layers of her clothes.

It was all a bit much. This was just a silly game, and True was still wandering around and could happen upon them at any second and the way he kept breathing on her was driving her crazy.

"John," she said, and spun around to face him. He was staring down at her and her next words escaped her, mouth open silently. She lowered her eyes from his but then she was just staring at his chest. And he was still looking at her.

"Uh... Yeah?" he said.

The thing was, things had been a lot easier between them lately - in some ways. She and Danziger, yes, they were getting along better, they were working well together, and the whole group benefited when they were able to present a united front. But in other ways, things were only looking to get more complicated.

And it was this, this right here, that was the problem.

She wanted to kiss him.

She wanted more than to kiss him.

And she was an adult, and there wasn't anything particularly wrong with that - with wanting someone like that. But then again, a simple matter of attraction wasn't all it was. It was so much more than that.

"The hell's going on in that brain of yours, Adair?" John murmured, the rough timbre of his voice so close doing strange things to her equilibrium.

"I should have found somewhere else to hide," she whispered back, finally brave enough to look up and meet his eyes. 

His lips parted and then he set his jaw, the hint of surprise on his face turning into something else, something more knowing. She swayed closer and her hands came up to rest on his sides as he looked down at her very much like a man who was about to kiss someone. 

He didn't get the chance. The sound of light footsteps crunching through the leaves returned and they sprang away from each other, Devon almost stumbling as she stepped back.

This motion brought her out into plain view and True didn't miss the second time around. "I see you Devon! You're it!" 

Devon hesitated, then forced a laugh as she turned and came forward to meet her. "I'm it? Well I'm not the only -" She was about to look back at Danziger but stopped herself. True hadn't noticed there was anyone else there, and Devon quickly decided that was for the best. 

"Now you can help me find Uly. He's so little, he can hide anywhere. And he always finds the best places." True was tugging her along by the hand as she chattered away. "Don't tell him I said that, though. You know where my dad went?"

"I'll help you look," Devon said, probably just imagining that she could feel his gaze on her back as they moved away.

He wouldn't look at her, later. 

Or couldn't, perhaps. The thing is, John Danziger had never had any problem looking her right in the eye before. That's how she knew. Every time she said something and his eyes slid away from hers, she knew they couldn't just avoid this any longer.

Good thing she'd never had any trouble addressing a problem head-on.

"John," she said, joining him where he was leaning against the side of the rover, her shoulder not quite brushing his.

"Devon."

His tone put her on edge. She hated that he could do that to her; have her geared up for a fight with a single word. She didn't want to fight, but two could play at that game.

"About what happened earlier..." She turned her head, watching his face as he grunted a non-committal, non-verbal reply. "We should probably talk about this. Privately. We could meet. Tonight, maybe."

"You wanna _talk_. Great." She simply raised an eyebrow, still watching him and he shifted, clearing his throat. "Where?"

She started to smile. "Where it started. You've got first watch duty? I'll stay up, we can talk then."

"Right. Sure." He pushed away from the rover and she watched him go.

She almost couldn't believe she had just done that. Thankfully it was only as he walked away with long strides, hands shoved deep in his pockets, that she felt the hot flush of embarrassment burning her face. Well, mostly embarrassment.

That night she stayed late by the campfire, sipping tea and pretending to examine plans and inventories and duty rosters. Anything to look too busy to be in bed already. One by one the Eden Advance team settled in for the night, till it was only her sitting up by the low light and John out pacing the perimeter to keep warm.

It was still over an hour till the next watch shift, and there was no one around. She caught sight of him now and then through the trees, and every time a coiling excitement grew down deep inside her, knowing he was waiting for her. To see if she'd come. And well, she'd never been one to back down from a - from whatever this was.

She headed out towards the perimeter, away from the small circle of light from the fire. Winter had passed but the nights were still cool. In amongst the trees, she stopped, rubbing her arms against the chill in the air, waiting for him to come to her. 

She heard his footsteps, and then a low, gruff greeting.

"Hey," he said, just before his hand closed around her arm and he pulled her further into the deepest shadows of the trees, away from camp. 

She stumbled after him a few paces; when they stopped, she could hardly see him. The night was so still and quiet she could hear her own breathing, and he was so near she could hear his, too, coming a little faster the longer they stood there. His hand was still on her arm. 

"Listen, Adair -"

"Shh." She touched his chest and he stopped right there. "John, let's... not talk." 

He laughed thickly. "You're the one who always wants to talk."

"Well, listen up, because I'll most likely never say this again: you're right. It's over-rated."

Her eyes were adjusting to the dark but she could still only see the outline of him, see him looming closer before his hands came up to cradle her face and he pulled her against him, guiding her mouth to his.

That was all it took, really. That one last step and it was all over. His hands on her, the sound he made when she sucked under his jaw, the taste of his mouth; it all felt so much more important than she expected, and she knew she would be back here again and again. 

Still kissing, he pressed her back against a tree. The bark was rough against her skin when he pulled up her top, and so was his face against her neck, his stubble grazing everywhere his lips met her skin.

"John," she sighed as his hands covered her breasts. His touch was just a little too urgent to be gentle as he shoved up her bra and his fingers found her bare nipples. She gasped, arousal flooding through her. She wanted him. And she wasn't exactly looking for gentle as she sought his mouth again, dragging his head up with her fingers in his curls. She sucked on his tongue as it filled her mouth, and arched up against him when his knee wedged between her legs.

She liked the feel of him, his solid weight leaning into her, the muscles she traced with her hands as they moved restlessly over his shoulders and back. She wanted to know what it would be like to have him naked in her bed, between her thighs, pressing her down into the mattress... 

But here they were, kissing desperately against a tree in the dark on an alien world, so they would have to work with what they had for now.

"John," she said again, more insistent than before, and took his hand from under her shirt and guided it lower.

It was almost embarrassing how quickly she came once he got her pants open and his thick fingers pushed between her slick folds. She panted as he rubbed over her clit, his mouth hovering near her ear as he whispered hoarse encouragement to her. 

She groped blindly down his front till she found him, the hard length of him tenting his pants. She grasped him through the cloth, thinking about having him inside her, driving into her over and over again. 

John groaned at her touch. "Come on, Devon," he said, and one more stroke of his hand pushed her over the edge. 

She came hard, a low, guttural cry escaping her as she clutched at him, shaking with the force of it. His weight pressing her to the tree kept her upright when her legs might have given way. She was glad for the support, but once the aftershocks of her orgasm subsided she kissed him briefly, smiling, and then dropped purposefully to her knees.

"Hey, uh -"

"Hush." 

She still wanted him, only now she wanted to make him come just like that - shuddering and gasping her name. And when she worked open his pants and took him in her mouth, she got her wish in short order.

He was still, technically, on watch, and so she left him there a little later with a few last, lingering kisses, tenderness overtaking them now that the immediate urgency of their desire had past. It was unfamiliar, the way he stroked his hand over her hair, the way she laughed against his shoulder at nothing in particular. Just as unfamiliar as their more intimate actions had been - but then, this was a kind of intimacy, too.

She nuzzled her nose under his jaw, breathing in the smell of his skin as he held her against him, there under the trees in the dark. She wondered briefly what the morning would bring, if all of this would seem strange, or ill-considered, in the harsh light of day. But for once she didn't have the urge to look ahead and plan for every outcome.

Right now, it felt good. Wonderful. And that was enough. Although, as for plans - well, she certainly had every intention of repeating this encounter the next chance they had. 

When she stole back into camp and her tent to sleep beside her son, she lay awake for a time tracing kiss-swollen lips that couldn't stop smiling.

The next morning, breakfast was a leisurely affair once again as the scout team was still away - though Devon was hoping to get moving again that afternoon at the latest. The downtime did everyone good - after what had happened in the last 24 hours, she would be the last to deny it - but that didn't mean she wasn't eager to be on their way again.

She was sitting with Yale and Uly, who was attempting to convince them to put off lessons for another day in between bites of his breakfast. The Danzigers came to eat as they were finishing up, the two of them taking a seat nearby with their dishes. 

John looked over and met her gaze directly, no avoidance today. And yes, it could have been awkward, dealing with him now after what had passed between them under cover of darkness. But looking at him, she thought what it was going to be instead was so much more interesting.

"Hey," she said, turning away to lay a hand on Uly's shoulder, "you know what, it's such a nice day, lessons can wait till later. You finished eating?" 

Uly nodded, even as he stuffed one last bite in his mouth. He looked at Devon expectantly and she could feel Danziger still watching her, too. 

She smiled. "How about another game of Hide and Seek?"


End file.
